Apart from a nagging shoulder injury that has gotten worse over the past few weeks, a major factor that will influence whether quarterback Brett Favre will return to the Jets in 2009 is whether and to what extent he’s happy.

I can see it happening. They have nothing to play for and Carolina will probably rest the starters.

Carolina needs the game to win the division so I don't think they will be resting anyone. If Carolina loses and Atlanta wins then the Panthers drop all the way down to the 5th spot and the Falcons get the 2nd seed and a first round bye.

Vikings running back Adrian Peterson finished his second NFL season as the league’s leading rusher.

Peterson churned up 1,760 yards, 61 more than Michael Turner of the Falcons. Peterson averaged 4.8 yards per carry.

DeAngelo Williams of the Panthers finished third, with 1,515 yards.

Peterson’s performance could generate some MVP votes, but the favorite at this point seems to be Peyton Manning of the Colts, who recovered from a serious knee injury to lead his team to nine straight wins.

A day after completing the first 0-16 season in NFL history, Lions coach Rod Marinelli has gotten his parting gift.

Literally.

Jay Glazer of FOX and Adam Schefter of NFL Network report that the Lions have fired Marinelli.

Marinelli was 10-38 in three years on the job. When hired in 2006, Marinelli was touted highly by various voices in the media, even though he’d never previously been so much as interviewed for a head-coaching job.

(As of 9:15 a.m. EST, the termination of Mangini has been confirmed by ESPN 1050 in New York, Jay Glazer of FOX, and Adam Schefter of NFL Network. Per Glazer, owner Woody Johnson was “visibly upset and agitated” after Sunday’s loss to the Dolphins.)

And so it becomes clear that Mangini has taken the fall for a season of unfulfilled expectations after G.M. Mike Tannenbaum broke from the concept of building through the draft and rounded up a bunch of high-priced veterans.

At the press conference, it’ll be interesting to see what if anything Johnson says regarding his comments from March 2008, during which he declared that Mangini and Tannenbaum “absolutely” would be back in 2009.

“I really think it takes time to build,” Johnson said. “You can’t do it in one season.”

The Oakland Raiders are in the process of requesting permission to speak with New York Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride about their vacant head coach position, according to a report from ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen.

As the Giants enter their bye week for the opening round of the playoffs, Gilbride is expected to take the opportunity to interview for the job. New York (12-4) is the NFC's top seed and has home-field advantage throughout the postseason.

However, Raiders sources tell Mortensen that interim head coach Tom Cable has a solid chance of retaining the post.

A day after completing the first 0-16 season in NFL history, Lions coach Rod Marinelli has gotten his parting gift.

Literally.

Jay Glazer of FOX and Adam Schefter of NFL Network report that the Lions have fired Marinelli.

Marinelli was 10-38 in three years on the job. When hired in 2006, Marinelli was touted highly by various voices in the media, even though heíd never previously been so much as interviewed for a head-coaching job.

The San Francisco 49ers have announced that offensive coordinator Mike Martz has been dismissed from the team.

“After an evaluation period I felt it was best to go in a different direction,” coach Mike Singletary regarding the decision to terminate Martz’s employment. “This was not an easy decision because I appreciate Mike Martz, and I enjoyed working with him. He is a true professional, and I wish him the best in the future. I do recognize the need for a long term solution on the offensive side of the ball.”

After Adam Schefter of NFL Network reported that Martz had been dumped, Martz told Matt Maiocco of the Santa Rosa Press Democrat that Martz was in his office, drinking coffee.

As one media source observed in the wake of the announcement that Martz had indeed been fired, “Martz might want to finish that coffee and get the hell out.”

The Cleveland Browns are interested in hiring the newly available Mike Shanahan for their vacant head coaching search, and have also received permission to talk to Titans defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.

An unnamed source told the Cleveland Plain Dealer that the team’s attitude toward contacting Shanahan is, “How can you not?”

A separate Plain Dealer report says the Browns have asked for and received permission to interview Schwartz, who worked as a scout for the Browns from 1993 to 1995, when Bill Belichick was head coach. Schwartz is also a candidate for the head coaching vacancy in Detroit. Under the rules for assistants on teams with playoff byes, Schwartz can interview this week and then will not be available for interviews until the Titans’ postseason is over.

Other candidates for the Browns job include former Jets coach Eric Mangini and Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.

Browns owner Randy Lerner wants Patriots V.P. of player personnel Scott Pioli to take over Cleveland’s football operations.

And, according to the Boston Herald, Lerner wants an answer right now.

Well, not right now. But today.

Per the Herald, Lerner and Pioli met Wednesday in New York. Citing unnamed sources with the Browns organizations, the Herald reports that there’s a feeling that Pioli made “demands so high that perhaps he really doesn’t want to leave” New England.

The Browns reportedly made a “huge” financial offer. Again, however, “unnamed sources” say that “some of his demands were impossible for any team to meet.”

Though we routinely dabble in unnamed sources, we’re also sensitive to their potential agendas. In this case, if the unnamed sources are currently employed in any type of a football capacity by the Browns, the unnamed sources have a very keen interest in doing anything they can to avoid the arrival of a guy who’d come in and fire whoever needs to be fired.

And as to the notion of the Browns wanting to force the issue, one of our readers pointed out Wednesday that the Browns went down this same path ten years ago, when they wanted a quick answer from Brian Billick — and got Chris Palmer instead.

So just as Billick landed in Baltimore, the Browns could be pushing Pioli into the arms of the Chiefs.

New York Jets star quarterback Brett Favre recently caught some not-so-friendly fire from Jets running back Thomas Jones, who sharply criticized the veteran signal caller and suggested that Favre should have been benched during a three-interception meltdown against the Miami Dolphins to close the season.

During an interview with New York radio station Hot 97 FM, Jones took some shots at Favre, breaking the silence from a normally supportive locker room.

“We’re a team and we win together . . . but at the same time, you can’t turn the ball over and expect to win,” Jones said, via Rich Cimini of the New York Daily News. “The other day, the three interceptions really hurt us. I mean, that’s just reality. If I were to sit here and say, ‘Oh, man, it’s okay,’ that’s not reality.

“The reality is, you throw interceptions, I’m [ticked] off, I don’t like it. You know what I’m saying? I don’t like it, I know everybody else on the team doesn’t like it. . . .

“If somebody is not playing well, they need to come out of the game. You’re jeopardizing the whole team because you’re having a bad day. To me, that’s not fair to everybody else. You’re not the only one on the team.”

Jones, who later accused Favre indirectly of “giving the game up,” became the first member of the organization to publicly criticize Favre. (Earlier this week, one teammate made critical comments about Favre without permitting the player’s name to be disclosed. For all we or anyone else knows, the player was Jones.)

It’s not known whether other players in the locker room share Jones’ feelings. But since the players voted Jones (and not Favre) the team’s MVP for 2008, anyone who previously had been on the fence might now feel the same way as Jones.

Obviously, it sets the stage for dysfunction next season, if Favre returns. But the wisdom (intentional or otherwise) of Jones’ words is that, if they spark an anti-Favre sentiment in the locker room, the prideful Lord Favre will surely not want to play for the team again in 2009.

New York Jets star quarterback Brett Favre recently caught some not-so-friendly fire from Jets running back Thomas Jones, who sharply criticized the veteran signal caller and suggested that Favre should have been benched during a three-interception meltdown against the Miami Dolphins to close the season.

During an interview with New York radio station Hot 97 FM, Jones took some shots at Favre, breaking the silence from a normally supportive locker room.

ďWeíre a team and we win together . . . but at the same time, you canít turn the ball over and expect to win,Ē Jones said, via Rich Cimini of the New York Daily News. ďThe other day, the three interceptions really hurt us. I mean, thatís just reality. If I were to sit here and say, ĎOh, man, itís okay,í thatís not reality.

ďThe reality is, you throw interceptions, Iím [ticked] off, I donít like it. You know what Iím saying? I donít like it, I know everybody else on the team doesnít like it. . . .

ďIf somebody is not playing well, they need to come out of the game. Youíre jeopardizing the whole team because youíre having a bad day. To me, thatís not fair to everybody else. Youíre not the only one on the team.Ē

Jones, who later accused Favre indirectly of ďgiving the game up,Ē became the first member of the organization to publicly criticize Favre. (Earlier this week, one teammate made critical comments about Favre without permitting the playerís name to be disclosed. For all we or anyone else knows, the player was Jones.)

Itís not known whether other players in the locker room share Jonesí feelings. But since the players voted Jones (and not Favre) the teamís MVP for 2008, anyone who previously had been on the fence might now feel the same way as Jones.

Obviously, it sets the stage for dysfunction next season, if Favre returns. But the wisdom (intentional or otherwise) of Jonesí words is that, if they spark an anti-Favre sentiment in the locker room, the prideful Lord Favre will surely not want to play for the team again in 2009.

Dang, Favre getting called out by a RB...I never thought I would see the day....